1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of conveying technology. It relates to a conveying apparatus and to a supporting device for a conveying apparatus according to the preamble of the corresponding independent patent claims.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known for conveying material to be conveyed as individual entities, e.g. goods, people or animals, or as bulk material in conveying apparatuses with planar conveying means. Such conveying means either are conveying belts or have interlinked, typically rigid elements which can be displaced in relation to one another in order to be able to negotiate curves. The elements form an essentially flat surface, on which the conveying material is conveyed. These interlinked conveying means are known, for example, as mat-top chains, flat-top chains, plate-top chains (flexbelts, chain belts, carrier chains). They are referred to jointly hereinbelow as mat-top chains (flexbelts).
Depending on the type of conveying means, the ways of mounting same differ: mat-top chains are supported, for example, two-dimensionally and slide on sliding rails or sliding surfaces. Depending on the loading by the conveying material, this results in high frictional forces and corresponding motive forces for moving the mat-top chain, and also in wear. Other embodiments of mat-top chains have, as part of the mat-top chain itself, rollers which run along therewith and roll on a surface. Conveying belts, in contrast, usually roll on fixed rollers, i.e. ones which are mounted such that they can be rotated at a fixed location. The rotatable mounting of the rollers results in wear and limits the loading capability of a conveying apparatus.
FR 2 309 433, furthermore, describes a conveying apparatus for conveying individual entities. The conveying apparatus contains a chain conveyor made of movable chain links, which is driven and on which items are transported. The chain conveyor is supported by a supporting device. The supporting device comprises circulating rollers, which are connected to one another via chains arranged laterally on the rollers. The rollers are retained on the lateral chains such that they can be rotated via axial shafts.
DE 26 124 68 describes a conveying apparatus with a transporting belt which is supported by a grating arrangement. The grating arrangement comprises two parallel roller chains, which together carry cylindrical transverse bars. The roller chains contain rollers which are mounted such that they can be rotated via slide bearings and over which the grating arrangement rolls.
EP 0 978 465, in turn, describes a device for moving components linearly. The transporting device contains a transporting belt, which is fixed in a frictional manner between carriages and rolling bars. The rolling bars are mounted on rolling bodies.
All the known devices have the disadvantage that they have a complicated construction and comprise a large number of individual parts. They are therefore expensive to produce and to maintain. Many devices, in addition, have mechanical bearings with shafts, rolling-contact bearings, etc., which render the device susceptible to disruption and wear.